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Monday, September 16, 2013

When I first decided to do a mug muffin a day I think I was going to do one every day for a month. Since that decision, I have had an epiphany.....I cannot do a mug muffin a day for a month, if for no other reason than shear weight. And I'm talking about the lb kind that attaches itself to your stomach, hips, thighs, butt, etc. I have put myself and my 'girlish' figure out there for a test drive of mug muffins and this is my last daily post. Don't get me wrong. It was a fun ride while it lasted...and every now and then I'll take another recipe for a test spin and when I do I promise I'll post those results too.

What better way to end my daily posts than with PUMPKIN SPICE (with streusel topping, I might add). I know that it's fall now and everyone has been craving all things pumpkin and 'fall' - so here's the best for last!!

As with all my trials I start with my base recipe (see day 1). To that, I added 1 Tbsp of Pumpkin puree. Yep, that's' it. Although I think you could add another Tbsp if you want even more pumpkin taste.
I also upped the amount of spice from the last spiced mug muffin I made. This one I used 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ginger.

This is the pumpkin puree I used. Unfortunately, I only used 1 Tbsp of pumpkin, so I will have to put the rest in the fridge, or freezer...or use it up some other way.

Guess what this is?! STREUSEL!!!! So to every wonderful pumpkin dessert one must add streusel! Quick and easy streusel recipe. 2 Tbsp flour, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1 Tbsp cold butter. Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the cold butter - or use your fingers to mush it all together.

When done it's moist crumbly goodness.

Dump the streusel mixture on top of the mug muffin batter and microwave. I microwaved this for just a little longer than normal...1 minute 50 seconds.

This is what it looked like right out of the microwave. Can you see the steam coming off of it? It was probably the best mug muffin of them all. The extra spices were perfect. The texture was perfect. 'IT' was just perfect.

Be assured that this was the piece de resistance of my week of mug muffin experiments. And what a way to end it! O.M.G....it is sooooooo yummy! Moist, flavorful....well, perfect. I highly suggest you get on it and try this one out!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Well, I warned you all yesterday that today was THE day for Biscoff Mug Muffins!! Did you get your jar yet? Did you stick a spoon in it to test it out? Did you just forget about baking anything with it and went ahead and finished off the jar yourself? (Don't worry...your secret is safe with me) It's hard to have a jar in the house and not devour it right away. We eat in on apples mostly, but really it could go on pretty much anything - yes, anything. You be the judge.

For those who have never seen it, this is what the jar looks (so you can spot it easier on the shelves). This particular one is the creamy version. I LOVE the crunchy version best but have a hard time finding it. So I settle for creamy - it's better than nothing at all.

It looks just like peanut butter but is made up of those WONDERFUL little biscoff cookies - all smashed to smithereens. Mmmmmmmm. I may need to go get another spoonful.

Here's a look at today's ingredients. The base recipe AND BISCOFF!! All of the measurements were the same and I just added 2 Tbsp of Biscoff.

I microwaved the mug for 1 1/2 minutes and it really poofed up.

The texture was pretty good. I think I may add just a smidge more coconut oil to give it a moister texture. The flavor was really good - but to be fair, as much as I love Biscoff, I probably should have added another Tbsp. It would have made my heart even happier. If you love Biscoff, add more. If you're still just not so sure, stick with the 2 Tbsp.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Tonight's selection was a toss up. I LOVE Biscoff. About as much as I LOVE Nutella. Biscoff is one of those food items that I CANNOT purchase and have at home. ( I can, however, have Nutella in my home) The only time I get them is when I'm on a plane. There are some airlines out there that serve a little package containing two cookies for their in flight snacks. If you're really lucky, sometimes they hand out two packages!! But if I purchased any for home I would have no choice but to eat the whole entire bag in one sitting! That's how addictive these little cookies are!

But I asked my hubby if he wanted Biscoff Mug Muffins or Spiced Oatmeal....he picked Spiced Oatmeal. Guess what tomorrow's mug muffin is gonna be?????? And that's how much I love him. And besides, there are many of you out there feeling the effects of fall and are craving spiced, fall flavors, and pumpkin goodies (we'll get to the pumpkin ones shortly, I promise)

As with each Mug Muffin I started with my base recipe. For this Spiced Oatmeal I modified it just a touch. Instead of using 1/4c flour I used 2 heaping Tbsp of flour and 2 Tbsp quick oatmeal. The liquid measures were the same and I added 1/4 tsp of allspice, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of ginger.

The batter was not as thick as it usually is and I was a little worried about that...but what the heck, it's a few minutes and a few ingredients if I have to make it over. No biggie.

I cooked it in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and it turned out PERFECT. Moist, but not brownie chewy. The only thing I would do different...add just a touch more of each spice. The flavor was good but could have been a little stronger for our taste. It was subtle, so if you like subtle go for it.

This is a perfect base for other additions. I was going to add raisins but hubby didn't care for them.... but, mmmmmm, they would have been yummy. Also chopped apples! With streusel topping!! (anything with streusel topping) Yes, those will be used with this base too at another point in time.

So there you have it. Another day, another mug muffin, another keeper!!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Another day another mug muffin. Today was kind of a chocolate peanut butter day. It's only fitting that it's a chocolate peanut butter night too.

I think our dog (Prada) has a super sensory sniffer. She seems to know the minute I pull the peanut butter jar out of the cupboard...even BEFORE I open it. Tonight is no different. I set the jar on the counter and heard her jump off the couch and come running to the kitchen. Then she stands at my feet and whines - usually until I break down and give her a scoop in her Kong as a treat. I guess we have no one to blame but ourselves for her persistent pleading for peanut butter. But really, can you blame her. For a treat, my hubby will just get a spoon full of peanut butter and eat it like that. I'm surprised they weren't both in the kitchen begging for peanut butter.

As you can see (or maybe you can't from the pic) I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate cocoa powder and chunky peanut butter. I also decided to throw in some chocolate chips for good measure too. As always I started with my base recipe then added all the extra ingredients.

I added 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder first and the batter was super stiff. I could hardly stir it. I decided to add another tablespoon of coconut oil.

I added 2 Tbsp of peanut butter after the cocoa powder was mixed in good. The batter was still pretty stiff. At this point I probably should have added another Tbsp of coconut oil to get a little better consistency - tip for next time. I'm thinking for every extra Tbsp you add of dry ingredients you should add a Tbsp of coconut oil. I'll certainly give this a try with my next mug muffin.

I added in about an 1/8 cup of chocolate chips at this point. Stirred them in real good and sprinkled a few on the top. The batter was thick like a brownie batter - just a bit too thick.

I microwaved the batter for 1 1/2 minutes and it turned out nicely cooked. Fresh and hot from the microwave it was good but as it cooled it got a little too dry. The flavor was awesome but here's where the extra coconut oil would have come in handy. None of the mug muffins really hold their shape when removed from the mug, but again, we cook them in the mug so we don't have to remove them.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

I'm home from work late tonight and I don't have a ton of time to get all the projects in that I would have liked to (I'm working on a few others for ya too). But I HAVE to get my mug muffin post in. And I haven't given it a lot of thought during work to come up with tonight's flavor. I was asking my hubby what flavor I should try tonight and as I picked up my printout of mug muffin recipes one word caught my eye....NUTELLA!!! Who doesn't loooooove nutella? That was a rhetorical question - and if you really don't, there may be something wrong with you.

Nutella it is!!

It's so quick and easy and once you have the base recipe memorized (it doesn't take much), it's even easier!
Base recipe (please refer to Day 1 post) plus 3 Tbsp Nutella. That's it.

I mixed in the Nutella but didn't completely combine it. You can still see some of the original batter color. No biggie. If you want, mix it up better than I did.

I'm still fiddling with the cooking times on each of these recipes. I decided to go for the full 1 1/2 minutes, but it needed about another 20 seconds. At 1 1/2 minutes it was like a soft brownie consistency rather than a cake or muffin....AND THE FLAVOR!!! mmmmmmm....ok, both hubby and I agreed, this one's a keeper!

After turning it out onto a plate, it also does not hold it's shape (finished cooking it to 1 minute 50 seconds). It also looks a little more cake/muffin texture microwaved at the longer time. Either way it's really yummy

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Ok, today is short, sweet and to the point. No time tonight to dilly dally around. I've got places to go and people to see! Not really...I have to get on the treadmill and it's getting late :-(.

It's day two - or night two...however you look at it, it's time to give the mug muffins another go. Tonight I'm trying to get the banana mug muffin down.

So I used the base from last night that I settled on. For this round of banana mug muffin I added a half of a really ripe banana and a splash of vanilla. This pretty much replicates my 'World Famous Banana Bread' with the exception of eggs. In my research of mug muffins there seems to be two things that make your microwaved muffins/cakes rubbery...the addition of egg and/or too long in the microwave. I've opted out of adding eggs.

Here is the batter after everything is added in and stirred up. It's still pretty stiff like the original recipe.

The original recipe calls for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave. I started this cup at 1 minute. It clearly wasn't done and I extended it for another 30 seconds. It should have probably been extended another 20 seconds beyond that even, but I was afraid to overcook it. For the most part there were only two areas that seemed a bit under cooked...a little puddle on the top and a small section at the base.

Overall, I'd have to say the texture wasn't bad and the flavor was better. Especially when compared to last night's major fail. My conclusion though....I'll stick to my banana bread the old fashioned, baked in the oven way, thank you very much. Now I gotta run...literally.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

So the other day, or should I say night, I was needing a yummy sweet snack and as much as I LOVE to bake I was not about to get my butt off the couch to bake anything. I needed something easy, quick, without making me feel toooo guilty for indulging. I remembered I had these mug cake recipes saved in my computer. Hmmmm...I've made a chocolate one in the past and it just really wasn't that good and I had blueberries in the fridge that were going to go bad if I didn't hurry up and use them. So I did a quick search for a blueberry muffin in a mug (with streusel). Found it! Literally it only took 5 minutes (commercial break) with mixing and microwaving. This is it and it's from here http://kirbiecravings.com/2013/05/blueberry-muffin-with-streusel-topping-mug-cake.html. I highly suggest you try it!

So today I decided I was going to try to come up with numerous variations to make all kinds of mug muffins. I decided on a base recipe and will take on these different variations on a daily basis (hopefully)...a mug a day.

I wanted to be able to see inside the mug (and for you to see inside too) while things were happening so I went out and bought two clear mugs. They are on the larger side too so hopefully we won't get spillage.

Here are my two mugs and below are the few measuring utensils I will need. (They're my Mickey Mouse ones from Disneyland)

Flour and sugar now. I always use Organic Evaporated Cane Juice for my sugar. It has a more mellow sweetness to it.

Added the baking powder and pinch of salt.

Here are most of the ingredients. I didn't picture my sugar or flour here because, well, they are in 5 gallon buckets (yes, I do a lot of baking).

Here I added the buttermilk and melted coconut oil.

Stirred it all together.

It got pretty smooth and runny.

Oh yes...this first try was for banana bread mug muffin. So I added about 1/2 of a really ripe banana - just like the ones I use in my 'World Famous Banana Bread'.

Mashed the banana up into the mug.

See. You can see what's going on inside the mug.

Ok, so this is after microwaving it for 4 minutes. I would have taken a picture of it in the microwave but you can't see through the door well enough to see the muffin baking. I first put it on for 1 1/2 minutes but it wasn't done. I kept adding more time until it was no longer gushy on the top. As you can see, it is very light in color.

Looks kinda funky through the cup too. It turned out kind of giggly and not too appetizing looking.

Dug into it with a spoon and yes, it was gushy. It didn't look done but it also felt rubbery. Not a good sign.

Took a fork and scooped in onto a plate. It's pretty yucky gooey looking. Hubby took a bite. I wish I would've had the camera pointed at him when he did. That would have been all you needed to see this was a major FAIL!

Ok, so onto try number two. I tweaked the first recipe and made it more like the blueberry mug recipe from the other night. I decreased the buttermilk to 2 Tbsp and the oil to 1 Tbsp and left out the banana (just trying to get a good base).

Looks pretty much like the first one but thicker - without the banana.

Microwaved it for 2 minutes this time.

Major difference! In texture, taste, everything. Ok, the banana must have just added too much moisture. Although this one did taste a little salty. Hmmmm. Not as rubbery. Held it's shape. But still not quite right.

Next to the original banana muffin try it was a world apart! And looks way more appetizing.

And on to try number 3!! This time I mixed up the original blueberry mug muffin recipe and just left out the blueberries and streusel topping, since I'm just looking for a base muffin. The batter was even thicker than the other two tries.

Third times a charm (well it doesn't hurt that I already made this one too and I know it's good). This recipe makes a muffin far fluffier than the other two. Granted, it did not stay in 'muffin' form when removed from the mug but that's ok. I'm not usually going to remove it from the mug to eat it - that's the beauty of a 'mug' recipe. And I'd really rather have my muffin fluffy and not rubbery anyway.

As you can tell from this picture, my husband (the taste tester) liked the third recipe the best too. For my next tries, I will just use this recipe as my base and go from there.

The quest for mug muffin recipes will continue tomorrow when I will try for the right banana bread mug muffin recipe again.

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We are a mother-daughters trio with a craving for travel and a weakness for shopping. We love all things pretty, fun, and fabulous. Fashion, DIYing, yummies, adventure, parties, friends and family. To be a Wanderlust Doll is a lifestyle, a manifesto. Enjoy every moment fully and look good doing it!